System and method for providing priority access and channel assignment in a cellular telecommunication system

Abstract

A system and method of providing users of a mobile cellular telecommunication network, who subscribe to priority service, with priority access to voice or traffic channels during periods of congestion on these channels. The system provides priority to designated priority users for call origination, call termination, and handoff to congested cells. When the network is not congested, any channel is available for use by any user, whether a designated priority user or not. During periods of congestion, the system enables a service provider to designate whether a reserved bank of channels, a queue technique, or a combination of both is to be utilized to provide priority access and channel assignment (PACA). Call requests are positioned in a queue according to the priority level of the associated subscriber, and by time of arrival within each priority level.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A system for providing a mobile telephone user with priority access to a cellular telecommunications network having a plurality of subscribers, and assigning a channel to said user on a priority basis when there is channel congestion in said network, said system comprising: means for determining a priority level for said user and each of said plurality of subscribers, said means for determining a priority level including: means for determining whether said user and each of said plurality of subscribers is designated as a priority access and channel assignment (PACA) user;   a first prioritization parameter associated with said user and each of said plurality of subscribers, said first prioritization parameter indicating whether said user and each of said plurality of subscribers has activated a priority access and channel assignment feature; and   a second prioritization parameter associated with said user and each of said plurality of subscribers, said second prioritization parameter indicating a relative priority level for said user and each of said subscribers who has activated said priority access and channel assignment feature;     means for determining a level of channel congestion;   means for reserving a bank of channels;   means for queuing call requests from said user and said plurality of subscribers; and   means for selectively assigning a reserved channel to said user, or queuing a call request from the user with call requests from said plurality of subscribers, while awaiting an available channel.   
     
     
       2. The system of claim 1 wherein said means for reserving a bank of channels includes means for reserving said bank of channels solely for the use of said subscribers who have activated said priority access and channel assignment feature. 
     
     
       3. The system of claim 2 wherein said means for queuing call requests from said user and said plurality of subscribers includes means for enabling any channel in said network to be assigned to said user and any of said plurality of subscribers by preventing reservation of said bank of channels. 
     
     
       4. The system of claim 3 wherein said means for selectively assigning a reserved channel to said user, or queuing a call request from the user with call requests from others of said plurality of subscribers includes means for a service provider to designate whether to utilize a reserved bank of channels or a queue technique. 
     
     
       5. The system of claim 4 wherein said means for queuing call requests from said user and said plurality of subscribers includes means for queuing call requests from said user and each of said plurality of subscribers who has activated said priority access and channel assignment feature during a period of channel congestion to await an available channel. 
     
     
       6. The system of claim 5 wherein said means for queuing call requests from said user and said plurality of subscribers who have activated said priority access and channel assignment feature during periods of congestion includes means for assigning an available channel first to the subscriber with the highest priority among those awaiting an available channel. 
     
     
       7. The system of claim 6 wherein said means for queuing call requests from said user and said plurality of subscribers who have activated said priority access and channel assignment feature during periods of congestion includes means for assigning available channels to subscribers with equivalent priority on a first-come, first-served basis. 
     
     
       8. A method of providing a mobile telephone user with priority access to a cellular telecommunications network having a plurality of subscribers, and assigning a channel to said user on a priority basis when there is channel congestion in said network, said method comprising the steps of: determining a priority level for said user and each of said plurality of subscribers, said step of determining a priority level including the steps of: determining whether said user and each of said plurality of subscribers is designated as a priority access and channel assignment (PACA) user;   associating a first prioritization parameter with said user and each of said plurality of subscribers, said first prioritization parameter indicating whether said user and each of said plurality of subscribers has activated a priority access and channel assignment feature; and   associating a second prioritization parameter with said user and each of said plurality of subscribers, said second prioritization parameter indicating a relative priority level for said user and each of said subscribers who has activated said priority access and channel assignment feature;     determining a level of channel congestion;   reserving a bank of channels;   queuing call requests from said user and said plurality of subscribers; and   selectively assigning a reserved channel to said user, or queuing a call request from the user with call requests from said plurality of subscribers, while awaiting an available channel.   
     
     
       9. The method of claim 8 wherein said step of reserving a bank of channels includes reserving said bank of channels solely for the use of said subscribers who have activated said priority access and channel assignment feature. 
     
     
       10. The method of claim 9 wherein said step of queuing call requests from said user and said plurality of subscribers includes enabling any channel in said network to be assigned to said user and any of said plurality of subscribers by preventing reservation of said bank of channels. 
     
     
       11. The method of claim 10 wherein said step of selectively assigning a reserved channel to said user, or queuing a call request from the user with call requests from others of said plurality of subscribers includes enabling a service provider to designate whether to utilize a reserved bank of channels or a queue technique. 
     
     
       12. The method of claim 11 wherein said step of queuing call requests from said user and said plurality of subscribers includes queuing call requests from said user and each of said plurality of subscribers who has activated said priority access and channel assignment feature during a period of channel congestion to await an available channel. 
     
     
       13. The method of claim 12 wherein said step of queuing call requests from said user and said plurality of subscribers who have activated said priority access and channel assignment feature during periods of congestion includes assigning an available channel first to the subscriber with the highest priority among those awaiting an available channel. 
     
     
       14. The method of claim 13 wherein said step of queuing call requests from said user and said plurality of subscribers who have activated said priority access and channel assignment feature during periods of congestion includes assigning available channels to subscribers with equivalent priority on a first-come, first-served basis. 
     
     
       15. A method of processing a call request for a priority access and channel assignment (PACA) call from a mobile telephone user in a cellular telecommunications network having a plurality of subscribers, said method comprising the steps of: receiving said call request from said user;   determining whether there is channel congestion in said network;   assigning a channel to said user upon a determination that there is not channel congestion in said network;   enabling a service provider to designate whether to utilize a reserved bank of channels or a queue technique for subscriber access and channel assignment during periods of channel congestion;   reserving a bank of channels for priority users when said service provider designates to utilize a reserved bank of channels;   determining whether a reserved channel is available;   assigning a reserved channel to said user upon a determination that a reserved channel is available;   determining, upon a determination that a reserved channel is not available, whether said service provider has designated that said queue technique is to be utilized when a reserved channel is not available;   denying access to said user upon a determination that said service provider has not designated that said queue technique is to be utilized;   positioning, upon a determination that said service provider has designated that said queue technique is to be utilized, said user's PACA call request in priority order with call requests from said plurality of subscribers, according to each subscriber's priority level and time of arrival at said queue of each of said call requests;   determining whether said user's PACA call request will fit in a queue, based on a predefined queue size;   determining, upon a determination that said user's PACA call request will not fit in said queue, whether said service provider has designated that said reserved bank of channels is to be utilized when said user's PACA call request will not fit in said queue;   denying access to said user upon a determination that said service provider has not designated that said reserved bank of channels is to be utilized;   determining whether a reserved channel is available upon a determination that said service provider has designated that said reserved bank of channels is to be utilized;   determining, upon a determination that said user's PACA call request is in said queue, whether a channel is available;   determining, upon a determination that a channel is available, whether said user is the highest priority subscriber in said queue;   assigning, upon a determination that said user is not the highest priority subscriber in said queue, a channel to a queued subscriber with the highest priority level and earliest time of arrival within said subscriber's priority level; and   assigning a channel to said user upon a determination that said user is the highest priority subscriber in said queue.